Spooled rapidly deployable life line

ABSTRACT

A rapidly deployable personal flotation device for waterborne vessels consisting of a top half and a bottom half joined together at the center by a spacer to form a spool for winding a rope around the spacer for storage. The device is made from USCG approved plastic materials.

RELATED INVENTION

[0001] This application is a continuation of Provisional Application Serial No. 60/254,408 Filed Dec. 12, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates generally to safety equipment for waterborne vessels and more particularly to a rapidly deployable Personal Flotation Device (PFD) in the form of a disc upon which a safety line is spooled and which is thrown to a person in distress.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Boat operators are expected to make sure that their boats carry at least a minimum of safety equipment. The Coast Guard sets minimum safety standards for vessels and associated equipment. To meet these standards, some of the equipment must be Coast Guard Approved. “Coast Guard Approved Equipment” has been determined to be in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) specifications and regulations relating to performance, construction, or materials.

[0006] Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) must be USCG approved, in good and serviceable condition and of appropriate size for the intended user. The wearable PFDs must be readily accessible, meaning that you must be able to put them on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency.

[0007] One of the types of PFDs is a TYPE IV PFD. A TYPE IV PFD is a throwable device intended for calm, inland water with heavy boat traffic, where help is always present. It is designed to be thrown to a person in the water and grasped and held by the user until rescued. It is not designed to be worn. TYPE IV devices include buoyant cushions, ring buoys, and horseshoe buoys.

[0008] In addition to the rules for TYPE IV PFDs, a forty foot line is required to be attached to the PFD. Currently, the lines are attached and stored with the flotation device.

[0009] Existing throwable life rings are generally deployed from the deck of a vessel or dock and take the form of a floatable ring tethered to a line. These rings are thrown to the distressed swimmer and the line is thereafter used to retrieve the ring and the swimmer. In an emergency, speed is essential and the line must be accessible and not tangled. Because there is no control over the location or condition of the line, it may become tangled and fail to reach the person in the water when thrown.

[0010] The present invention seeks to address the inherent weaknesses in conventional life rings by providing an accessible and swiftly deployable flotation device to a distressed swimmer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a floatable life preserver formed as a pair of discs which permit a life line to be spooled upon an inner hub such that the line is deployed smoothly as the device is thrown.

[0012] It is a further object of the invention to provide sealed inner chambers containing air which permit the device to float. Such chambers having the advantage of light weight and resistance to saturation with prolonged immersion in water.

[0013] It is a further object of the invention to provide a flotation device which can be deployed by persons who are either right or left handed.

[0014] It is a further object of the invention to provide a flotation device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The device as described herein consists of a pair of identical, disc-shaped forms joined at a common central hub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention as it would appear during deployment.

[0016]FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the present invention showing each external component.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention, partially in section, showing the relationship between its disc components and the spooled line which it carries.

[0018]FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the invention showing the internal structure.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in FIG. 1 the invention is designated overall by the numeral 10. The instant invention is generally round in shape and consists of two principal parts, the top half 11 and the bottom half 12. Each of the sections are constructed of USCG Approved materials. The top half 11 and the bottom half 12 are joined together at the center by a spacer 15 (FIG. 2) to form a spool for winding the line 13 (rope) around the spacer 15 for storage. The space 14 is sufficiently wide to hold the full forty feet of wrapped line 13.

[0020] The life line 10 of the invention may be thrown in the direction of arrow 18 over the side of the boat in a manner that “Frisbees” are thrown, with the exception that the line 13 is held or attached to the boat to readily pull the person back to the boat. When the person is rescued, the line 13 is easily replaced by winding around the spool.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2 wherein space 14 is free from any protrusion and extends to central hub 15. Top half 11 and bottom half 12 are identical in profile.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 3 wherein line 13 is spooled and extends in part ready for deployment.

[0023]FIG. 4 shows air gaps 16 formed identically in both top 11 and bottom 12 as one form of construction. Hub 15 joins each half and forms a spool for line 13. Flotation may be air gaps 16 or foam components which meet or exceed USCG standards. The particular plastic will be selected based upon the method of manufacturing. Some potential candidates are High Impact Polystyrene (HIP), Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Foam and Polyurethanes. The material selected will be dependent on the manufacturing technique selected. The rope 13 may be assembled as the parts are manufactured or possibly inserted. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A rapidly deployable personal flotation device for waterborne vessels, said flotation device consisting of: a top half and a bottom half, generally round in shape, and constructed of plastic materials, said top half and said bottom half being joined together at the center by a spacer to form a spool for winding a rope around said spacer for storage, and a safety line permanently attached to said spacer and wound around said spacer.
 2. A rapidly deployable personal flotation device of claim 1 wherein said plastic materials are U.S. Coast Guard Approved.
 3. A rapidly deployable personal flotation device of claim 2 wherein said plastic materials are in the class of high impact polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, foam and polyurethane.
 4. rapidly deployable personal flotation device of claim 1 wherein said top half and said bottom half are constructed of plastic sheets having air gaps formed identically in both top and bottom halfs. 